Sausage, Bacon and Eggs: The Breakfast Run at the Cardiff Half Marathon

01/10/15

Seven people are running the Cardiff Half Marathon this weekend dressed as giant breakfast items to raise money and awareness for The Wallich’s Rough Sleepers Intervention Teams. Taking part in the run are two rashers of bacon, an egg, a sausage, baked beans and – controversially – tomato ketchup.

The Rough Sleepers Intervention Teams are run by staff and supported by a team of volunteers. The teams head out at 7am every morning to provide a hot breakfast, humanitarian aid and assistance to homeless people sleeping on the streets.

A family from Bridgend will be taking part. Pip and Sue Rosser-Stanford, along with their sons Bryn and Gethyn, will take on the 13.1-mile course together. Sue came into contact with The Wallich when she provided cleaning services at their family hostel in Brynmenyn. Sue says she wanted to do something to help the families she met:

“Many families just like our own experience difficulties but without a home it is difficult to begin to recover and rebuild after illness or job loss. The Wallich help by providing accommodation, advice and support to help move on with life.”

Another of the runners taking part on Sunday is Graham, a former service user of The Wallich who was helped by the Rough Sleepers Intervention Team. Graham became homeless after suffering from depression which put pressure on relationships at home.

Graham, now a member of staff at The Wallich, said:

“I’m raising money for the Rough Sleepers Intervention Team by running the Cardiff Half dressed as a sausage! The team visited me one morning when I was sleeping rough, they gave me a hot meal and some advice on finding housing and accessing benefits.

I hadn’t spoken to anyone other than my immediate family for months but I didn’t feel like I was being judged. It was like all that mattered to them was what could they do to help me”.

The breakfast fundraisers join others who are running the half-marathon for The Wallich. The charity provides support to homeless people across Wales, getting people off the streets and into accommodation where they are supported to rebuild their lives. The Rough Sleepers Intervention Teams operate in Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend and Newport.